Fishing bobber



Dec. 22, 1964 5 LEE 3,161,982

FISHING BOBBER Filed Dec. 27, 1960 INVENTOR.

Magma/155 A TTOR VE) UTE-Z United States Patent ()fi ice 3,161,982FESEENG BGBBER Matthew E. Lee, Land-iB-Lakes, Wis. Fiied Dec. 27, 196iSer. No. 78,725 4 (:laims. (ill. d3-43.l)

This invention relates to improvements in fishing bobbers.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a novel, simple andinexpensive fishing bobber which is attractive in appearance and whichis particularly well suited for use in ice fishing.

A further object is to provide a fishing bobber for ice fishingcharacterized by a body formed of resilient synthetic resin spongematerial characterized by closed cells which provides buoyancy andaccommodates flexing under pressure as a means to remove ice encrustedthereon.

A further object is to provide a fishing bobber formed of a plurality ofpieces of closed cell sponge material of different colors cementedtogether to produce a body of desired shape and size and of permanentbuoyant character and coloration.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a view. of a fishing rig utilizing my improved bobber;

FIG. 2 is a view of the bobber in side elevation;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal axial sectional view of the bobber;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a modified form of the bobber;

FIG. 5 is a side view of another modified form of the bobber;

FIG. 6 is a side view of still another modified form of the bobber; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective View of a part utilized in constructing thebobber.

The use of fishing bobbers in ice fishing is attended with progressivebuilding up of an ice coating on the bobber. As the coating of ice on abobber increases, the

bobber increases in size and weight and loses its sensitivity as anindicator when a fish strikes the fishing tackle which carries thebobber. Consequently, it is necessary to remove the ice periodicallyduring fishing in order to retain the desired proper functioning of thebobber. The removal of ice from a bobber is difiicult to accomplishwithout injuring the bobber, especially in View of the weatherconditions prevailing during ice fishing. Thus, if any eifort is made touse a tool, such as a knife, there is a serious danger that the bobberwill be cut or otherwise injured during removal of ice therefrom. Somefishermen avoid the use of tools by employing their teeth to remove theice, but this is unsanitary and likewise is subject to possible injuryto the bobber as a result of which paint or other color coating of thebobber may be injured or damaged and the desired attractive appearanceof the bobber may be lost. The present bobber has been designed toovercome these ditficulties by constructing the same in a manner toenable ice coatings to be removed therefrom Without the use of toolsquickly and expeditiously and without danger of altering the appearanceor coloration of the bobber.

The bobber is of the type which is mounted upon a fishing line 10, towhich one or more fish hooks 12 are connected and to which a sinker orweight 14 may be connected. The bobber 1-6 is secured at a selectedlength upon the line 16 and has sufiicient buoyancy to cause the fishhooks 12 and the sinker 14 to be immersed in water to selected depth.

The bobber 16 comprises a body formed of a plurality of sections orpieces 18 of flexible resilient compressible buoyant material.

3,lfil,982 l atented Dec. 22, 1964 I prefer to employ a synthetic resinsponge material of the closed cell or unicellular type well known in theart. Material of this character possesses the desired properties ofbuoyancy, resilience and flexibility and also is available in differentcolors to that the buoyant pieces 18 have permanent coloration. Eachpiece 15 of buoyant material has a passage 24) extending therethroughand preferably will be formed of sheet material of selected thickness,having substantially parallel opposed faces. The pieces 18 willpreferably be of desired configuration and may be of tapered frustoconical configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 7. This shape is notessential, however, and the indvidual pieces of buoyant material 18 neednot be tapered nor need they be round. Also, where formed of frustoconical shape, the individual pieces may be of different sizes.

Any selected number of pieces 18 of buoyant material of selected sizesmay be arranged in superimposed position with their apertures 26 alignedand in selected color combinations or arrangements and are securedtogether by layers 22 of cement. The resulting body may be of any of alarge number of sizes, shapes and color combinations. The body isunitary and has an aperture extending therethrough to receive a stick orwedge member 24 preferably of the type illustrated having a tapered end26 facilitating insertion into the aligned holes 2! in cases where thecross-sectional dimension of the stick 24 is greater than thecross-sectional size of the hole 2! This arrangement facilitates theanchorage of the bobber upon the line at any selected point, in themanner illustrated in FIG. 3. Specifically, the line 10 is passedthrough the opening in the body while the stick 24 is removed from thehole and, after the body is positioned in desired location upon theline, the stick is inserted into the body and serves as a wedge toanchor or position the bobber body upon the line at the selectedlocation.

The unicellular character of the parts 1% forming the body imparts tothe finished bobber body buoyancy ade quate to serve the intendedfunction of a fishing bobber, namely, to expose the bobber as it floatsbut permitting immersion of the bobber incident to a tug upon the lineimparted by a fish which is caught upon a hook attached to the line. Thecolors of the bobber are preferably bright and are selected to renderthe bobber readily visible even in dim light, as within a windbreak orenclosure set up around a hole in the ice through which fishing isconducted. Vvfhen ice has been formed upon the body to such an extentthat the bobber no longer functions properly but becomes sluggish andexcessively large, the ice can be removed easily and quickly by simplypressing upon the flexible resilient body material sulficiently to breakthe ice crust. If necessary, the user can step upon the body of thebobber for the purpose of breaking an ice crust in cases where the crusthas reached such a thickness that it resists breaking by hand pressure.Pressure can, of course, be applied in such a direction as not to injurethe stick, for example, by pressing the body in a direction transverseof the length of the stick. Such squeezing of the body rapidlydisengages the ice there from and restores the bobber to normal size andto normal coloration. Thus, without requiring the use of special toolsand without requiring any substantial amount of time or inconvenience,the bobber can be freed of ice without iniury thereto, inasmuch as theresilient character of the body permits it to take its normal shape assoon as the crushing compression thereon is released.

The use of the unicellular material which can be permanently colored isimportant from the standpoint of insuring that the color of the bobberwill remain constant even in cases where some injury resultin in nickingor notching of the body might occur.

oneness For the purposes of illustration, the drawing has been lined inFIGS. 2, 4, 5 and 6 to designate coior. These color designations areillustrative only and are intended to represent some of the colorcombinations and arrangements which are possible by simply selecting andarranging, as desired, body-forming components 18 of standard sizes andshapes.

Vinyl type resins, such as polyvinyl chloride, natural rubber andsynthetic rubber, such as Neoprene and Buna N, have been foundparticulariy well suited for use in bobbers when'processed to providethe desired unicellular internal structure and cut to form the bodyforming parts 18, that is to provide uniformly dispersednon-communicating individual voids. Exampies of materials on the marketwhich are suitable for the intended use include a material known asEnsoiit manufactured by the United States Rubber Company, and a materialknown as Rubatex manufactured by Great American Industries, Inc.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustratedand described, it will be understood that changes in construction may bemade Within the scope of the appended claims Without departing from thespirit of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A fishing bobber having an opening tberetbrough to constrictivelyreceive a line and a wedging rnei rber,

said body being buoyant and formed of a plurality of apertured resilientmembers cemented together at apertured surfaces thereof with theirapertures substantially in register, whereby said body may be compressedto crush ice thereon Without breakage thereof,

said resilient members being of'diiferent colors and characterized byclosed voids throughout to render them non-absorbent.

2. A fishing bobber having an opening therethrough to receive a line anda wedging member,

said body being buoyant and formed of a plurality of resilient parts ofcompressibie unicelluiar synthetic resin, each having opposed surfacesand a substantiaily central aperture extending therethrough be tweensaid surfaces,

said parts being cemented at said opposed surfaces with said aperturesin register for constrictive fric- (Lil tional engagement with said lineand Wedging memher,

said body being flexible whereby it may be compressed Without breakingso as to crush ice thereon.

3. A fishing bobber having an opening tnerethrough to receive a line anda Wedging member,

said body being buoyant and formed of a plurality of resilient partseach having opposed surfaces and a substantially centrai apertureextending therethrough between said surfaces,

said parts being cemented at said opposed surfaces with said aperturesin register for constrictive frictional engagement with said line andWedging member,

said parts being formed of compressible material havingnon-communicating voids throughout, whereby ice thereon may be crushedby compressing said body Without breakage of said body,

some of said parts being of difierent dimensions than adjacent parts.

4. A fishing bobber having an opening therethrougn to receive a line anda wedging member,

said body being buoyant and formed of a plurality of resilient partseach having opposed surfaces and a substantiaily central apertureextending therethrough between said surfaces,

Said parts being cemented at said opposed surfces with said apertures inregister for constrictive frictional engagement with said iine andwedging member,

said parts being formed of compressible material havingnon-communicating voids throughout,

said part being of frusto conical shape and different sizes, I

said cemented body being compressible Without breakage to crush icethereon.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A FISHING BOBBER HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH TO CONSTRICTIVELYRECEIVE A LINE AND A WEDGING MEMBER, SAID BODY BEING BUOYANT AND FORMEDOF A PLURALITY OF APERTURED RESILIENT MEMBERS CEMENTED TOGETHER ATAPERTURED SURFACES THEREOF WITH THEIR APERTURES SUBSTANTIALLY INREGISTER, WHEREBY SAID BODY MAY BE COMPRESSED TO CRUSH ICE THEREONWITHOUT BREAKAGE THEREOF,